Posted by SIDHARTH on Dec. 30, 2012, 8:49 p.m.
Gautama Buddha or Siddh?rtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: ????????? ???? ?????; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent,[note 1] on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.[6]
The word Buddha is a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. samm?sambuddha, S. samyaksa?buddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." [note 2] Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as ??kyamuni (Sanskrit: ????????? "Sage of the ??kyas").
Gautama taught a Middle Way compared to the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement [7] common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Ko?ala.[8][9]